Chapter 135: Let's Begin Grazing on the Grasslands

“Moo~” The lowing of cattle echoed across the grasslands. The cows walked slowly through the vast expanse, leisurely grazing on the grass.

“It is a peaceful scene, isn’t it?” It was just as Ria said. Lately, whether I am in the undeveloped lands or back in Northernford, either Ria or Gil is always by my side. They tell me it’s nothing, but I wonder if something has happened. When I’m in Northernford, James is often near me as well.

As I watched over the ranch, Helder-san approached. “Lord William, this seems to be a comfortable place for the cattle.” “Thank you, Helder-san. It’s thanks to you that we are able to graze cattle here.”

This is the vast grassland spanning the northern part of the southern undeveloped lands. Helder-san is one of the retainers of the Cardiff Earl House. He has worked on ranches for a long time and is particularly knowledgeable about handling dairy cows. When I explored the undeveloped lands, I consulted Letty about whether we could start grazing here; she said it was a good location, but I’m truly moved to see the cows actually relaxing here.

Letty spoke to her father, the Earl of Cardiff, and he introduced Helder-san to me as an expert in animal husbandry. Preparations to turn the great grasslands of the northern undeveloped lands into a ranch began after Helder-san came to Northernford, the capital of the Fairchild Margrave territory.

“Oh, this is… One truly can travel in an instant.” “Yes, that is the nature of this magic.” When I took Helder-san to the southern undeveloped lands via Teleportation Magic, he was astonished by the sudden change in scenery.

I make it a point not to show Teleportation Magic in front of people too often, but I have no intention of holding back when it comes to developing the southern undeveloped lands. After consulting with Father and the others, we decided that using Teleportation Magic would allow the development of the undeveloped lands to proceed significantly faster than usual. I want to hurry the development so we can move the World Tree as soon as possible.

Once Helder-san recovered from the shock of teleportation, he immediately began checking the surrounding vegetation. He would pluck the grass, stare at it intently, and then put it in his mouth. “Umu. This grass can be used as fodder.”

“That’s good to hear.” It’s a relief to have an expert tell me it’s alright. Next, I had Helder-san check for any plants unsuitable for consumption, especially poisonous ones.

I had been worried about that point. Upon inspection, Helder-san found no poisonous plants, and there were few weeds that the cows couldn’t eat. Gratefully, the great grasslands of the southern undeveloped lands seem to be a location perfectly suited for livestock.

Next was deciding where to build the grazing grounds. I consulted with Helder-san to find a spot within the grasslands that was close to the Fairchild territory and suitable for grazing, with few shrubs to get in the way. Once the location was decided, we needed to build fences and a cattle shed.

In the undeveloped lands, such work is usually difficult, requiring materials to be hauled from afar and craftsmen to travel to the site. However, since I have Storage Magic and Teleportation Magic, I can store all necessary materials and teleport there in an instant. The fences and the shed can then be built using my Production Skill.

Since we decided to start with small-scale grazing, we didn’t need a massive grazing land or shed. Theo and I were able to build them immediately.

“What? The fences and the shed are already finished? I was surprised by the Teleportation Magic, but Lord William‘s Production Skill is truly amazing.” Helder-san was impressed. The Production Skill truly demonstrates its power in development.

The dairy cows for the ranch were partially gifted by the Earl of Cardiff, and Oliver purchased more through the Levant Company‘s network. Thanks to them, we managed to gather ten cows for the start.

“Alright, here we go.” I gently touched the cows and activated Teleportation Magic. I was worried they might panic and struggle, but perhaps they are bold; they immediately began eating the grass. It seems cows might not be as delicate as horses—they’re quite thick-skinned.

I bought used milking equipment from the ranches in the Cardiff territory. The Earl offered them for free, but I insisted on paying. It’s not good to rely too much on others’ kindness, and now that I’ve studied their structure, I can make them with my Production Skill. From now on, we can produce them at the workshop.

We established a settlement right near the ranch. A few knights are stationed there permanently to protect the ranch from monsters while also hunting monsters in the northern part of the grasslands.

About ten people who responded to the recruitment for immigrants in the Fairchild territory live in the settlement. Most seem to be second or third sons of farmers. Since Smith, the steward, conducted the interviews, they are all people of good character. The immigrants will be trained by Helder-san to acquire skills as herdsmen. Theo and I built the houses in the settlement using our Production Skill.

I feel a deep sense of emotion thinking that this is the first step in developing the undeveloped lands. The grasslands will be developed by the knights and the immigrants from the Fairchild territory, and to the south, the Black Soil Region contains groves and small forests, so the Elves are planned to join the development there.

The milk produced at the ranch is sold in Tintern, the southernmost town of the Fairchild territory. It takes about two hours by carriage from Tintern to the undeveloped lands. The ranch is located about an hour after entering the undeveloped lands, so it’s about a three-hour trip one way.

Eventually, I plan to ask the workshop craftsmen and the Dwarves to improve the roads from Tintern so we can arrive even faster. By then, I hope the settlement will grow in scale and become a village. However, I wonder if people will gather. If we have the manpower, I’d like to do grazing on an even larger scale.